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Monday, August 7, 2017

Gem & Jewellery
Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), in association with De Beers, presented the
third edition of the ‘Jewellers for Hope’ gala charity dinner with an
aim to collaboratively contribute for the upliftment of downtrodden and support
the needy on the evening of July 27 (inaugural day of IIJS 2017). Banker&
Philanthropist Amruta Devendra Fadnavis and Actor Arjun Kapoor
graced the occasion. This year the proceeds shall go to Girl Rising, Nanhi Kali
NGOs working for the empowerment of Girl Child and Make a Wish Foundation, an
NGO playing an integral role by granting the most cherished wish of Children
living with life threatening illnesses hailing from socio economically backward
society.

Cheques amounting to
Rs. 1 crore were presented to three NGOs - with Rs. 33 lakhs each to Girl
Rising and Make a Wish and Rs. 35 lakhs to Nanhi Kali Foundation. Noted singer
Rekha Bhardwaj regaled audiences with a soul-stirring live performance. The
event was hosted by the inimitable Mandira Bedi.

Praveenshankar Pandya, Chairman, GJEPC, says, “CSR is the fabric of the gems & jewellery
industry to help those in need and share happiness and we want to take it one
step further to focus on collaborative social responsibility. The gem &
jewellery industry has been involved in large-scale philanthropic and
charitable activities particularly in the field of education and health long
before CSR became mandatory. This year, our industry has collectively come
together through Jewellers for Hope in association with De Beers to fund three
leading NGOs – Nanhi Kali and Girl Rising devoted to empowerment of the girl
child; and Make a Wish dedicated to granting the most cherished wish of
children between 5-15 years. Giving Back to the Society will make a big
difference and transform the lives of many. I am overwhelmed by the
contribution by the industry donors and convey gratitude to De Beers, whose
support made this event successful.”

Paul Rowley, Executive Vice President, Global Sightholder Sales,
De Beers Group, said, “At De Beers
and Forevermark, we have a strong focus on the upliftment of women as we know
how important they are to all aspects of our business – as employees, as
government partners, as consumers, as community stakeholders, as ambassadors
and as inspirations. They are a huge part – in fact by far the largest part – of
our future success and we see it as a clear priority to improve the prospects
of women and girls around the world.”

Russell Mehta, Vice Chairman, GJEPC, said, “Purchasing Jewellery is a joyous occasion
in itself and the gem & jewellery industry serves joy and happiness with
every purchase. CSR is a step further in spreading happiness in the lives of
people but more importantly through Jewellers for Hope, we focus on
Collaborative Social Responsibility rather than corporate social
responsibility. Consolidated efforts will give an impetus to the magnification
of the impact of each one who takes up the challenge of making a difference.
Jewellery industry has a heart and we are here to spread happiness.”

The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) was set
up by the Ministry of Commerce and industry, Government of India (GoI) in 1966.
It was one of several Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) launched by the Indian
Government, to boost the country’s export thrust, when India’s post-Independence
economy began making forays in the international markets. Since 1998, the GJEPC
has been granted autonomous status. The GJEPC is the apex body of the gems
& jewellery industry and today it represents over 6,000 exporters in the
sector.

With headquarters in Mumbai, the GJEPC has Regional Offices in New
Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Surat and Jaipur, all of which are major centres for
the industry. It thus has a wide reach and is able to have a closer interaction
with members to serve them in a direct and more meaningful manner. Over the
past decades, the GJEPC has emerged as one of the most active EPCs, and has
continuously strived to both expand its reach and depth in its promotional
activities as well as widen and increase services to its members.